The present invention relates to a printer, a plotter or like recording apparatus for recording images in plain papers and others and usable as an output unit of, for example, a copier or a processing system. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a recording apparatus utilizing a so-called ion projection system which records images by controlling streams of ions on a pixel basis.
An ion projection recording system per ce is well known in the art as disclosed in, for example, Nikkei Electronics, July 5, 1982, pp. 139-140. In this type of recording system, the ion stream is controlled responsive to image data to be recorded so as to provide a latent image electrostatically on the surface of a recording element, or intermediate recording medium, and then the latent image is developed by a developing unit using toner. The resulting toner image is transferred to and then fixed on a transfer member such as a plain paper to provide a hard copy.
As described above, the prior art ion projection recording system needs various processes before recording images on a transfer member, i.e. forming an electrostatic latent image, developing the latent image, transferring the resulting toner image, and fixing the toner image. Such individual processes have to be performed relying on various kinds of means which make the apparatus construction complicated and, therefore, expensive, unreliable and bulky.